Fig. 39.2. Tectonic map of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Laramide orogenic belt characterized by folds and thrust faults mostly in shelf and miogeosyncline sedimentary rocks. The structures of the basins are Late Cretaceous or Early Tertiary; of the geanticlines are partly of Early Cretaceous age or older. Nevadan orogenic belt characterized by numerous bathoFrom: Structural Geology of North America. By A. J.Eardley. Professor of Geology. University of Utah. liths and deformed eugeosynclinal sediments. The intrusions and structures are Early and Late Cretaceous with Early Tertiary structures in the Alaska Range area. Coast Range orogenic belt is marked in part by Tertiary sediments and by folding and thrusting principally during the Late Cenozoic. Interior Tertiary basins not shown. Mr. UDALL. One of the arguments we get into here is the question of further delay. If we adopted your proposal how long would construction take as against construction for a pipe to Valdez.1 Mr. NYMAN. The first step would be to build a pilot line and try it out thoroughly before going to long-range construction. I feel the pilot line could be built before next winter and tried out for a short stretch and see how it stands up and what are the difficulties. That should provide the time to organize large-scale production which would be needed for the 800 miles of track. It will also verify the technical conclusions of myself, Canadian engineers, and the others. See letter dated June 8, 1973, on p. 795. Canada may build a pilot track like that but there is some hesitation about it for various reasons, most because they want to try for mineral transport rather than oil. However, a gas transport is being studied now from the long stretch from the Island on the 78th degree parallel quite close to North Brook all the way to Buffalo. We made some estimates on that and they may introduce some pilot program on that basis. Mr. UDALL. Do you suppose if we accepted your method and it worked out, would it be in operation sooner than the Alaska pipeline or later? Mr. NYMAN. How soon do you expect the permit would be given to the pipeline? Mr. UDALL. It doesn't matter. Let's assume we give you the pipeline and then Mr. NYMAN. I would have it in 2 years. Mr. UDALL. We have had another suggestion for a conventional railroad to move the oil out of the North Slope. In what way does your proposal differ from the conventional railroad proposals? What are the advantages on loading the oil on your kind of containers as against the conventional tankers? Mr. NYMAN. The conventional railroad has been studied in Canada and their estimate was $3.5 billion equivalent to the oil pipe and it would include also quite expensive operation which is connected with the railroad and operation of the roadbed. My estimate of $650 million on the stretch from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez is considerably lower. In fact, the oil pipe in that stretch is $2 billion and I am about a third of that. So that the first advantage will be considerably lower cost, and the second advantage is by being completely operated there is no need for operating personnel. There is no need for an engine driver or other personnel on the train. Mr. UDALL. All right, sir. Mr. Saylor. Mr. SAYLOR. It is good to see you again, sir. I have read your entire testimony. I have two questions that bother me with regard to this approach. We have no difficulty at all with the oil itself going into the containers, but you talk about bringing out the gas. Now, if you are going to bring out gas you have got to liquefy it; is that not correct? Mr. NYMAN. Yes, sir. Mr. SAYLOR. Therefore, what your plan must necessitate is a plant at Prudhoe Bay to liquefy the gas? Mr. NYMAN. Correct. Mr. SAYLOR. How are you going to get that equipment in? The reason I ask this is because I was in favor a long time ago of telling them to go ahead with the railroad. We know how to build a railroad and we have done it up there, and if you are going to open up |